OlliOlli World – New Gameplay Today

2 years 9 months ago

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OlliOlli World is an upcoming vibrant skateboarding game that tasks players with landing tricks and combos as they skate through the colorful and weird Radlandia, a totally real place with totally real skateboarders. The OlliOlli series began in 2014 and quickly gained a following for its addictive one-life gameplay loop that had fans replaying levels over and over trying to land their next big trick. OlliOlli World plans to deliver the same beloved precision skateboarding experience but in a more expansive and brightly-colored package. Join Alex Van Aken and Blake Hester as they show off some of the game's colorful courses in this episode of New Gameplay Today.

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Alex Van Aken

Who Won E3 2021? Every Conference Ranked

2 years 9 months ago

The dust has settled from E3 2021, and there were some clear frontrunners in terms of who put on the best showcases. Some had only a few new titles to show off or had segments that left viewers scratching their heads. Others blew the house down with non-stop reveals and established themselves as big players. That’s why they earned the places they did in this rundown of who won E3 2021. Let’s rank every showcase ranked from worst to best.

12. Gearbox

Every E3 2021 Showcase Ranked

Every E3 2021 Showcase Ranked

It’s pretty unfortunate, but Gearbox’s presentation wasn’t nearly as good as their show back in 2019.

Author
Keenan McCall

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Microsoft Flight Simulator – First Xbox Series X|S Gameplay & New Features Revealed; More World Updates Teased

2 years 9 months ago

Today, during the Xbox Games Showcase Extended livestream, Microsoft revealed the first actual Xbox Series X|S gameplay of Microsoft Flight Simulator and new information about new features.

The segment was presented by head of Microsoft Flight Simulator Jorg Neumann, who not only provided a look at gameplay, but also explained how Microsoft and Asobo managed to make the sim run on consoles.

Neumann also presented the improvements made to the onboarding suite included in the simulator, including a comprehensive flight assistant and a “land anywhere” set of features that includes the addition of skis and floats to some of the aircraft.

Incidentally, all of this will be added to the PC version as well.

We also hear a bit about the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick expansion. Neumann mentioned that we saw an F-18 and an aircraft carrier, but there may be another plane as well. He also added that we’re going to go “really fast” likely hinting at the introduction of official support for afterburners and supersonic flight.

We also hear about future world updates. Just today we got one that improved Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, & Iceland, but there will be two more this year and six more next year.

Neumann concluded by mentioning that we should expect the unexpected like the Top Gun: Maverick expansion and the sim will make the hearts of both simmers and gamers pound going forward.

You can watch the full video segment below.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Dying Light 2 Contest Could Win You The Limited Collector’s Edition, Rust Crossover Also Announced

2 years 9 months ago

Dying Light 2 has been in the making for so long that fans assumed the worst: development hell. Small updates and assurances from Techland helped alleviate any worry, but earlier this year an extensive gameplay trailer dropped. Thankfully, Dying Light 2 is coming out this year and collector’s edition copies of the game are nowhere to be found. Luckily, a writing, fan art, and cosplay contest has been announced and collector’s editions are one piece of the reward package if you win. 

According to a press release emailed to Game Informer, starting today the Dying Light 2 Stay Human User Contest offers cash prizes, the Dying Light 2 Collector’s Edition, and the chance for your submitted art piece to be featured in the upcoming sequel. You can submit a short story about The City’s inhabitants, create a piece of visual art, or put your tailoring skills to the test with an impressive cosplay, makeshift Dying Light weapon and all. 

Author
Jason Guisao

Xbox Design Lab is back with custom Series X/S controllers

2 years 9 months ago

Xbox Design Lab was temporarily suspended last October while Microsoft worked on transitioning between console generations, but the custom controller service is back - allowing you to design your own Series X/S controller.

The relaunch was announced during Xbox's E3 follow-up showcase this evening, and the Xbox Design Lab website is now up and running. The customisation program allows you to pick colours for most external parts of the controller, including the "body, back case, D-pad, bumpers, triggers, thumbsticks, ABXY, View, Menu and Share buttons." The Xbox Wire blog post says there are 18 colours to choose from, including the colours of existing Xbox Series X/S controllers like Shock Blue and Pulse Red.

If you want to make it extra personal, you can also get your controller engraved with a Gamertag or custom message of up to 16 characters.

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Sea of Thieves' kraken finally gets its face in new Pirates of the Caribbean crossover trailer

2 years 9 months ago

Sea of Thieves' next major free update is packing in one hell of a crossover, bringing the world of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean into Rare's swashbuckling multiplayer adventure. And if the arrival of Captain Jack Sparrow wasn't enough to be excited about, it's also finally giving the formidable kraken a face - which makes an appearance in a brand-new trailer.

The centrepiece of Sea of Thieves' Pirates of the Caribbean crossover - officially known as A Pirate's Life - takes the form of a brand-new cinematic story campaign. It features five new Tall Tales episodes (the first since March 2020's Heart of Fire), charting Jack Sparrow's arrival in the Sea of Thieves and the events that ensue.

There are tantalising snatches of those adventures in Rare's second crossover trailer below, including the appearance of Davy Jones and his intimidating vessel the Flying Dutchman, battles against gargantuan mermaid statues, and even a portable talking skull that should stir fond memories for Monkey Island aficionados.

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Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life Gameplay Trailer Shows off New Cosmetics, Enemies, & Locations

2 years 9 months ago

Today, during the Xbox Games Showcase Extended, Rare showed off a brand new gameplay trailer for their upcoming collaboration, Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life. In the video below, you’ll see everything the new update brings to the game.

In this new update, players will experience a new story, as they free Jack Sparrow from his prison, witness the power of the world’s greatest Pirate Treasure, and battle Davy Jones to prove who the best pirate of them all truly is

. Alongside this story, there will also be plenty Pirates of the Caribbean cosmetics, allowing you to cosplay as Jack and even dress up your ship to look like the Black Pearl.

Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life is coming for free to all players who own the game on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC on June 22.

Anyone unfamiliar with the game can read the official description for Seas of Thieves below.

Author
Andrew McMahon

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Age of Empires IV Reveals Holy Roman Empire & Rus Factions

2 years 9 months ago

Today during the Xbox Games Showcase Extended livestream, Microsoft revealed two more factions for Age of Empire IV.

While they weren’t actually shown, we learn that the last two civilizations to be included in the game at launch are the Holy Roman Empire.

Two campaigns were also revealed, “Rise of Moscow” and “The Mongol Empire.”

The newly-revealed civilizations add to the Chinese, the Delhi Sultanate, the English, the Mongols, the French, and the Abbasid Dynasty that were already known.

If you’d like to see more, you can check out the previous reveal from E3

Age of Empires IV launches on October 28 exclusively on PC. You can check

“The king of real-time strategy (RTS) is back! Age of Empires has returned with its first all new title in 16 years, modernizing the RTS genre for new and returning players eager for the return of an RTS gaming phenomenon.    
 
By using history as a development tool, “Age of Empires IV” brings unparalleled atmosphere to the RTS with stylized visuals, diverse civilizations and authentic music and speech – all which come together to let you celebrate the High Medieval period to Late Renaissance history and cultures. 
 
With updated controls, intuitive UI and a fresh approach to campaign putting you as the hero in history, “Age of Empires IV” is the most accessible Age of Empires game yet while taking everything fans love about the franchise to the next level.”

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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New Hellblade 2 Trailer Shows More Behind-The-Scenes, "Not A Direct Sequel"

2 years 9 months ago

During the extended Xbox Games Showcase, Ninja Theory founder, Tameem Antoniades, talked about Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. Ever since the first Hellblade released to high praise, I've been waiting for any news about the sequel. The teaser trailer that premiered at The Game Awards a few years ago definitely scratched the itch, albeit briefly. The process that Antoniades’ described today makes me even more hyped. Apparently, Hellblade II “is not a direct sequel,” but Ninja Theory is making big moves to ensure it's an unforgettable experience. You can watch the montage below.

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During the early portion of the Hellblade II video, Antoniades affirms that the sequel is set in 9th century Iceland. He goes on to list the boot-on-the-ground work that the developers have committed to the upcoming title. Art and audio teams have been sent to Iceland and have conducted comprehensive photography shoots, and utilized photogrammetry as well as satellite data to recreate the landscape so that Hellblade 2 is more immersive and true to life. Ninja Theory is also working alongside Epic Games to implement next-generation digital characters; we all know how incredible the models looked in the first game, so this comes as no surprise! 

Author
Jason Guisao

A Plague Tale: Innocence Is Coming to Xbox Series X, PS5 & Switch

2 years 9 months ago

A Plague Tale: Innocence, the first entry in the Plague Tale series, is set to receive a ports for the Xbox Series X, PS5, and Nintendo Switch in the coming weeks.

During the Xbox Games Showcase Extended livestream held on June 17, it was revealed that next gen ports of the game are in development and slated to launch on July 6. The next gen version of the game for Series X and PS5 will offer some performance enhancements over the original version, including 4K Ultra HD support.

The Nintendo Switch port, meanwhile, will be available via cloud streaming.

The reveal came alongside highlight trailers for the game. In them, brief snippets of A Plague Tale: Innocence’s story and gameplay are shown in a montage of sorts, with moments that range from harrowing and dark to ominous and emotional spliced together.

They’re not exactly new footage, but it’s still worth taking a look if you passed on checking out the title when it originally launched back in 2019. The full trailers can be viewed down below.

Author
Keenan McCall

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A Plague Tale: Innocence getting 4K 60FPS Xbox Series X upgrade

2 years 9 months ago

I think I might need to replay A Plague Tale: Innocence, but that's okay because it is a brilliant game.

Asobo's medieval horror is getting a makeover for Xbox Series X on 6th July, with 4K resolution, 60 FPS and other visual enhancements. UPDATE: Publisher Focus Home Interactive has also now confirmed this upgrade for PlayStation 5, and announced a Nintendo Switch cloud version of the game, also for 6th July.

As ever, if you play on Xbox Series X you'll just get these enhancements on that date with no extra fuss. Microsoft announced the update tonight, during its E3 Xbox Showcase: Extended event.

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Hellblade II Gets New Update Video & Progress Montage

2 years 9 months ago

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II has received a new update video, offering info on the game’s current progress and an ominous teaser trailer.

Streamed during the Xbox Games Showcase Extended livestream held on June 17, the video starts off with chief creative ninja Tameem Antoniades offering insight into the current state of the title. According to him, Ninja Theory is currently wrapping up production on a large chunk of the game, after which they’ll expand into production on the rest of the title.

To that end, the team has been gathering info from Iceland to make the sound design and graphical recreations of geographical structures as accurate as possible. The animators and the actress for Senua, Melina Juergens, have likewise undergone combat training so that the motion capture applied to combat segments can feel visceral and authentic.

The video then moves into a progress montage, which blends completed footage of the game with clips of the game being designed, actors carrying out actions for motion capture, and more. All the while, an ominous voiceover hints at Senua’s drive during the title’s story, which involves facing her madness head on and taking down the gods who torment her.

It’s an odd mix of footage from the game and it’s development, but also an strangely effective teaser for what’s to come. Those who loved the original Hellblade, and even those who have been on the fence about diving into the series, will definitely want to check out the full video down below.

Author
Keenan McCall

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Ninja Theory currently building a "chunky" slice of Hellblade 2 before moving into full production

2 years 9 months ago

Ninja Theory has released a new video for Xbox exclusive Hellblade 2, and provided an update on its development.

The video, below, does not include any gameplay or any new footage of the game save some hard to make out snippets. It begins instead with a message from Ninja Theory chief Tameem Antoniades, who discusses the work that's being done to make Hellblade 2 at the Microsoft-owned studio's new digs in Cambridge. The video then goes on to present a rather disturbing montage that sets the scene.

I get the impression Hellblade 2 is still a long way off. In the video, Antoniades says Ninja Theory is currently building "a good chunky slice of the game before we then move into full production to build out the rest".

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Xbox Design Lab Is Returning for Next-Gen Controller Customization

2 years 9 months ago

Today, during the Xbox Games Showcase Extended, Microsoft revealed that Xbox Design Lab would be returning for next-gen consoles.

In the trailer below, there are a bunch of different customization features that will be available for players to sort through when creating their own controllers.

Xbox Design Labs will feature the following customizable components for next-gen controllers:

  • Pick your colors – Choose from a palette of 18 colors, including the new Shock Blue, Pulse Red, and Electric Volt
  • Select button styles – Choose from a variety of styles to match your color scheme
  • Engrave it – Add optional laser-engraving to make it one-of-a-kind
  • Build it – Place your order and Xbox will build and deliver your custom controller within 28 days of purchase

If you’d like to create your own controller, head over to Xbox Design Lab’s official website. There, you’ll find plenty of different ways to customize the entire layout to your liking.

Author
Andrew McMahon

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Tales of Arise Gets Tons of New Screenshots Showing Characters, Progression, Battle Skills, & More

2 years 9 months ago

Today the Japanese arm of Bandai Namco shared a ton of new screenshots of the upcoming JRPG Tales of Arise.

If you want to read more, you can check out our hands-on preview, but here you can take a look plenty more assets and information.

First of all, we meet Kisara and Dohalim, the new characters that have been recently revealed, but we also take a look at another relevant character. He’s a mysterious swordsman clad in black who seems to relentlessly target Alphen. In his cold eyes, humans, beasts, and stones on the side of the road are equally worthless.

We also take another look at the Elde Menancia region and its capital Viscint. It’s a fertile and temperate region where Renans and Dahnans live together with no prejudices. No one is whipped, no one is killed by soldiers. Is this an ideal place?

We also take a look at skills, boost artes, and the team-based boost strikes, that involve two characters. If you can do a just guard or just dodge with the perfect timing you can trigger a counterattack.

The screenshots also showcase, the menus for weapon upgrades, accessory crafting and character progression.

Incidentally, at the end of the gallery, you can also take a look at the costumes coming with the Ultimate Edition, updated with those for Kisara and Dohalim.

You can check out the screenshots below.

Author
Giuseppe Nelva

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Pokémon Unite Launching On Switch This Year, Everything We Know About The MOBA So Far

2 years 9 months ago

Last summer, Pokémon Unite was revealed by President and CEO of the Pokémon Company Tsunekazu Ishihara during the Pokémon Presents showcase. A 5v5 team-based MOBA, Unite has players drive down their respective lanes to capture wild Pokémon and upgrade their stats and abilities. Because of Unite’s competitive nature, players will have to thwart one another’s progress while traversing the arena. This means that many skirmishes will likely take place so you’ll need to remain cautious as you progress down the battlefield; you can watch some cinematic and gameplay footage below. If this piques your interest you’ll be happy to know that, according to a new press release posted on the official site today, the game is launching on Switch and Mobile this year.

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Author
Jason Guisao

Valorant’s Newest Agent, KAY/O, Revealed Alongside New Trailer Showcasing Explosive Abilities

2 years 9 months ago

After weeks of teases and speculation, Valorant’s new agent has finally been confirmed to be the Initiator KAY/O. Riot Games wasted no time showcasing what KAY/O is capable of, showcasing its new abilities in a hype-worthy gameplay trailer. Let’s all go watch it and then circle back:

The trailer is quite flashy and pretty entertaining, to say the least; however, it can be a bit hard to follow exactly what KAY/O is doing without knowing what its abilities actually are. Fortunately, Riot Games was able to confirm to us all of KAY/O’s abilities. Here they are along with their official tooltips via Riot Games:


(E) ZERO/point

  • Official Tool Tip
    • EQUIP a suppression blade. FIRE to throw. The blade sticks to the first surface it hits, winds up, and suppresses anyone in the radius of the explosion.

(Q) FLASH/drive

Author
Ed McGlone

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How Forza Horizon 5 scales across the console generations

2 years 9 months ago

For Digital Foundry, this was one of the biggest highlights of this year's Xbox E3 showcase - and quite possibly, the show as a whole. No CG trailers, no empty title announcements, but real meat: an authentic in-game showcase demonstrating that Playground Games is set to deliver a true next-gen driving experience for Xbox Series consoles and suitably equipped PCs - and we don't have that long to wait either: we'll be playing Forza Horizon 5 from November 22nd this year.

However, despite delivering a beautiful next-gen showcase in its presentation, the truth is that Forza Horizon 5 is a game set to straddle the generations. The demo we saw was clearly leveraging the horsepower and storage prowess of the new wave of gaming hardware, but there's going to be an Xbox One version too - set to run at 1080p30 no less, just like prior Forza Horizon titles. Looking at the material we've seen so far, it scarcely seems possible, but it's definitely happening.

Quite how Playground looks set to deliver this hasn't been fully laid out - though in today's big Forza Horizon 5 interview, the game's creative director, Mike Brown, tells Eurogamer's Oli Welsh that "since Horizon 3, we have already been on PC, and that means that we're already used to delivering a game on a whole range of system specifications. So having to have the game work on Xbox One, Xbox Series consoles, PC, it isn't that different. I think having to support the Xbox One consoles is exactly the same amount of effort as it is to support a lower spec PC. We're actually feeling pretty great about all versions of the game, to be honest."

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Nintendo Scores Highest Peak Viewership Of E3

2 years 9 months ago

Switch Pro or not, Nintendo still had the most people watching its E3 2021 presentation. Nintendo amassed 3.1 million peak viewers for its nearly 40 minute presentation, according to yesterday’s tweet from Stream Hatchet, a data analytics firm specializing in video game streaming.

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Author
Ash Parrish

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